September Reads

74.  The Gray Zone (Ziman) ~ 4/5

You Know When All the Men Are Gone (Fallon) ~ 3.5/5

75.  The Various Haunts of Men (Hill) ~ 4/5

76.  The Homecoming of Samuel Lake (Wingfield) ~ 5/5

Camp Liberty (Fallon) ~ 3.75/5

77.  The Darkest Place (Judson) ~ 4/5

78.  Reservation Road (Schwartz) ~ 3.5/5

79.  A Share in Death (Crombie) ~ 3.25/5

80.  The Accident (Barclay) ~ 3.25/5

81.  Alice Bliss (Harrington) ~ 3.25/5

Remission (Fallon) ~ 4/5

Short Story (not counted)

Bold titles made Best Reads of 2011 list

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~

MONTHLY  -  YEARLY STATS:

TOTAL:  8 - 81

Audiobooks:   5 - 50

Best Reads:   1 - 9

Books:   1 - 17

DNF:   0 - 4

eBooks:   2 - 14

New-to-Me Authors:   7 - 56

Off My Shelf:   3 - 27

Published in 2011:   4 - 26

Short Stories:   3 - 39

YA:   0 - 12

Ratings

Monthly - Yearly Stats:

5.00 =   1 - 3

4.75 =   0 - 0

4.50 =   0 - 6

4.25 =   0 - 5

4.00 =   3 - 17

3.75 =   0 - 9

3.50 =   1 - 18

3.25 =   3 - 6

3.00 =   0 - 7

2.75 =   0 - 1

2.50 =   0 - 2

2.25 =   0 - 2

2.00 =   0 - 5

1.75 =   0 - 0

1.50 =   0 - 0

1.25 =   0 - 0

1.00 =   0 - 0

__________

average =   3.78  -  3.59 

REMISSION (3 of 8)

Author:  Siobhan Fallon

Genre:  Short Story Collection

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format:  Book

(ss) Yearly Count:  39


A cancer patient is awaiting her test results while her teenaged daughter is going through a rebellious stage.

This story carried a good deal of suspense, which is what I really enjoyed.  The ending was a bit anti-climatic, but still fitting for the story line.

Simply Couldn't Resist!

The Kindle Touch

Yep!  It's pre-ordered!  :)

ALICE BLISS

Author: Laura Harrington

Genre: Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating: 3.25/5 (just okay +)

Format: Audiobook

Yearly Count: 81

A father decides to enlist in the military and then is deployed to Iraq.  They all (wife and two daughters) go through their own turmoil brought on by his decision and his absence in the home. Alice, a high-schooler, takes us on her journey of dealing with an absent father.

I found this to be a pretty good true-to-life, coming-of-age novel and thought the narrator of the audiobook did a good job portraying Alice and the others.  However, she didn't help me connect with their circumstances.  I'm not exactly sure what I missed, but I didn't find it nearly as compelling as many other readers.

I am well aware that I am just not a general fiction reader at heart.  I like them on occasion, but too many in a row is not for me.  After listening to this book, I spent 1.5 hours listening to two different fiction books and could not get into either of them.  I gave up and headed straight for my mysteries.  Now, I'm very content with what I've chosen to listen to, and it feels like home.  In general, even if I only think the book is "good" in the long run, I know that I will enjoy my experience of its contents much more.  

THE ACCIDENT

Author: Linwood Barclay

Genre: Thriller, Standalone

Published: 2011

Personal Rating: 3.25/5 (just okay +)

Format: eBook

Yearly Count:  80

From NetGalley:

In this mesmerizing thriller by acclaimed author Linwood Barclay, a typical American community descends into darkness, as an ordinary man is swept into one of the most violent mysteries of modern life.

It's the new normal at the Garber household in Connecticut: Glen, a contractor, has seen his business shaken by the housing crisis, and now his wife, Sheila, is taking a business coursJe at night to increase her chances of landing a good-paying job.But she should have been home by now.

Waiting for Sheila's return, with their eight-year-old daughter sleeping soundly, Glen soon finds his worst fears confirmed: Sheila and two others have been killed in a car accident. Adding to the tragedy, the police claim Sheila was responsible.

Glen knows it's impossible; he knew his wife and she would never do such a thing. When he investigates, Glen begins to uncover layers of lawlessness beneath the placid surface of their suburb, secret after dangerous secret behind the closed doors.

Propelled into a vortex of corruption and illegal activity, pursued by mysterious killers, and confronted by threats from neighbors he thought he knew, Glen must take his own desperate measures and go to terrifying new places in himself to avenge his wife and protect his child.

Bold and timely, with the shocking twists and startling insights that have become trademarks of this new master of domestic suspense, The Accident is a riveting triumph, a book that moves at a breathless pace to a climax no one will see coming.

I really like Barclay's ability to create suspense and a fast-paced plot.  He keeps the plot moving along and often keeps me wanting to read longer than I have time for.  This particular book did not waver from that, but it did ramp up the unbelievable factor, which instilled disappointment in me.  There were bodies dropping left and right and many connections that were just too coincidental.

The characters were affected by the implausible plot, so I didn't connect with them; however, I was eager to know the truth.  The plot's twists and turns are what kept me engaged, but they were close to reaching the brim of acceptability.  A little crazed read, but still fun to be back in Barclay's midst.






My thanks go to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for sending me this eBook.

A SHARE IN DEATH

Author: Deborah Crombie

Genre: Mystery,
Kincaid & James Series #1

Published:  1993

Personal Rating: 3.25/5 (just okay +)

Format: Audiobook

Yearly Count:  79

Detective Duncan Kincaid is on holiday at a time-share resort and finds that it isn't much of a holiday after all.  The first evening he overhears an argument and then the morning brings the discovery of an electrocuted body in the jacuzzi. 

Neither Duncan Kincaid nor Gemma James had much personality, so the story just progressed forward without much spunk. The plot wasn't boring, but I wasn't intrigued either. Overall, it was a middle of the road cozy mystery - nothing special, but not bad either.  

RESERVATION ROAD

Author:  John Burnham Schwartz

Genre:  Fiction, 1 of 2

Published:  1998

Personal Rating: 3.5/5 (good)

Format:  Audiobook

Yearly Count:  78

Ethan, Grace and their daughter Emma suffer from the sudden death of their son and brother due to a hit-and-run accident.  The story is told by three alternating points-of-view:  Ethan, Grace and Dwight (driver).

Morose + More Morose + Even More Morose = BLAH.  I enjoyed the way the story was told, but the entire book was just so gloomy.  The general story was of loss, so of course there's going to be grief and sadness, but the entire book?!  Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for such a solemn read.  The writing was great - no problems there.  I don't know what Northwest Corner (sequel) has in store, but I have to admit, I'm a little leery.

THE DARKEST PLACE

Author: Daniel Judson

Genre: Mystery, Standalone

Published:  2006

Personal Rating: 4/5 (very good)

Format: Audiobook

Yearly Count:  77

Four years after the drowning death of his son, Deacon Kane continues to struggle as he tries to keep his own head above water.  His life is a shambles.  When, and if, he makes it in to work, he teaches writing and creative lit at the local university.  Which happens to be the same place where male students are being abducted and found drowned.

I will definitely be reading more Judson.  (I picked up another book of his at the Borders sale for 90% off!)  The plot in The Darkest Place was not simple, and the characters were not cookie-cutter.  I liked that.  The setting felt a bit ominous and cold, which created a dark and moody place.  I liked that, too.  However, I didn't like the fact that Judson had a tendency to overwrite some scenes.  There was way too much detail or repetition, and I just wanted to move on.  Also, I never had any great affinity towards any character, but was curious about them and wanted to know what was going to happen.  Who really were the good guys and the bad?  I was never certain until the end.  

      

CAMP LIBERTY (2 of 8)

Author:  Siobhan Fallon

Genre:  Short Story Collection

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3.75/5 (good +)

Format:  Book

(ss) Yearly Count:  38


A man with a promising career in the Army has conflicting thoughts about signing up for another year.

This was another good story; however, this one had a little more depth to it than the first.  I'm loving learning more about what goes on in a camp.  

THE HOMECOMING OF SAMUEL LAKE

Author:  Jenny Wingfield

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  5/5
(absolutely outstanding)

Format:  eBook

Yearly Count:  76

From NetGalley:

Every first Sunday in June, members of the Moses clan gather for an annual reunion at "the old home place," a sprawling hundred-acre farm in Arkansas. And every year, Samuel Lake, a vibrant and committed young preacher, brings his beloved wife, Willadee Moses, and their three children back for the festivities. The children embrace the reunion as a welcome escape from the prying eyes of their father's congregation; for Willadee it's a precious opportunity to spend time with her mother and father, Calla and John. But just as the reunion is getting under way, tragedy strikes, jolting the family to their core: John's untimely death and, soon after, the loss of Samuel's parish, which set the stage for a summer of crisis and profound change.

In the midst of it all, Samuel and Willadee's outspoken eleven-year-old daughter, Swan, is a bright light. Her high spirits and fearlessness have alternately seduced and bedeviled three generations of the family. But it is Blade Ballenger, a traumatized eight-year-old neighbor, who soon captures Swan's undivided attention. Full of righteous anger, and innocent of the peril facing her and those she loves, Swan makes it her mission to keep the boy safe from his terrifying father.

With characters who spring to life as vividly as if they were members of one's own family, and with the clear-eyed wisdom that illuminates the most tragic-and triumphant-aspects of human nature, Jenny Wingfield emerges as one of the most vital, engaging storytellers writing today. In The Homecoming of Samuel Lake she has created a memorable and lasting work of fiction.

Just finished and just amazed.  I loved this book.  Being that I was reading this eBook on my iPad (bedtime read = little spurts), I wasn't making a lot of progress - until I got to about 1/3 of the way through.  I, then, decided that I simply wanted to read more and zoomed through the remaining 2/3 during the day.  I just couldn't stop.  

The book has so much to offer.  It is filled with a family of terrific characters that in one way or another touch your heart.  You just can't help but let them in.  There is also tension, a bit of quiet mystery, and of course, daily life that is hard to turn away from.  Simply stated:  The Homecoming of Samuel Lake was never dull.  There was continual action of one sort or another, and I had a hard time moving my eyes from my iPad back to the big screen football games.  Now that's impressive!  (Not the Michigan game, though!  All eyes on Michigan!!!  Go Blue!)  This "best read" is now on my list of "must purchase" so I can add it to my personal bookshelves.

My thanks go to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for sending me this eBook.


My Random Question:  For those of you that have read this book and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Bradley), what are your thoughts about Swan vs Flavia?  I LOVED Swan and did not care for Flavia at all.  Do you see similarities or are there glaring differences?  Just curious.

THE VARIOUS HAUNTS OF MEN

Author: Susan Hill

Genre: Mystery, Simon Serrailler #1

Published: 2004

Personal Rating: 4/5 (very good)

Format: Audiobook

Yearly Count:  75

A woman goes missing in Lafferton, England, and the newbie detective to the small town senses that it's more than her just seeking solitude.

This book had a full set of intriguing characters and story lines. The problem was it took me quite some time to fit it all together; therefore, my character connections were a little thin. Despite that, I was still deeply drawn in by the various topics of alternative health solutions. They made the characters very real as they contemplated their options.

Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler didn't seem like the main character and was a bit enigmatic, so it'll be interesting to see how he grows into that position in the next book in the series. Or maybe he doesn't, but it'll be interesting to find out, nonetheless. This was a very good character study/serial killer mystery mix.

YOU KNOW WHEN ALL THE MEN ARE GONE (1 of 8)

Author:  Siobhan Fallon

Genre:  Short Story Collection

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format:  Book

(ss) Yearly Count:  37


Fort Hood Army Base in Texas is where many Army families find themselves making their temporary homes.  One Army wife observes the odd behavior of a neighboring Russian speaking wife who struggles during her husband's absence largely due to her lack of American skills.

I liked learning about the living arrangements and general lifestyle of the army wives in this story.  It had an interesting and thought-provoking ending.  

THE GRAY ZONE

Author: Daphna Edwards Ziman

Genre: Suspense, Standalone

Published: 2011

Personal Rating: 4/5 (very good)

Format: Book

Yearly Count:  74

From the ARC:

Kelly Jensen was only six years old when she witnessed her mother's murder, for which her father was wrongfully convicted.  Moved from foster home to foster home, Kelly was exposed to abuse, neglect and human trafficking.  By age fifteen she was a runaway, combining her innate intelligence with street smarts to become a chameleon capable of losing herself in every character she impersonated.  Beautiful and bewitching, Kelly used her talents to become the most notorious identity thief in the country.


 Ruggedly handsome defense attorney Jake Brooks finds the enigmatic Kelly Jensen irresistible despite suspecting her of murdering his best friend from law school.  His obsession leads him to risk his own illustrious career in Los Angeles to see that justice is served.  Kelly finds him addictive.  Together, the two uncover a sordid link among immoral foster care parents, high rollers in Vegas, politicians, and the legal system itself.  Kelly ultimately takes fate into her own hands behind closed doors in the gray zone.

In general, this was a very good read. I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense that was tied to chases and time related deadlines. Those kept me on my toes, and I wanted to keep reading. However, the main character herself didn't maintain my loyalty. For the most part I rooted for her, but there was a big part of me that simply didn't like her. I loved her acting talents, though. She kept the suspense alive. Although, there was one big act that I didn't buy - definitely more like a movie scene, but whatever.

Her lawyer, Jake Brooks, never fully captured my heart either (mainly due to one gratuitous act in the beginning of the book), but he grew on me. His devotion to Kelly was way too sudden and seemed dramatic until I realized that yes, on occasion, we do act that way in real life; although, it's often difficult to swallow in fiction.  Go figure! 

The foster care thread throughout the book was enlightening.  It helped me to be more aware of the pitfalls by showing the darker side to the system.  

About the author:  "Daphna is founder and chairperson of Children Uniting Nations, a charity that provides foster children with devoted, non-paid mentors."






My thanks go to Marissa from Greenleaf Book Group Press for sending me this unsolicited ARC.